Super Mario RPG: The Second Coming
by Nathan-Daystorm
Summary: When a familiar evil returns to the Star Road, what will Geno, Mario, and the others do to fight not only oppression, but the apocalypse itself?
1. Default Chapter

Super Mario RPG

The Second Coming

Prologue

Corruption

Disclaimer:  I do not own Super Mario RPG:  Legend of the Seven Stars, nor do I own any of the characters, places, or events from that wonderful game.  I'm not sure whether there will be any OCs in this story, but if there are, I do own those.

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_"The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was, is lost, for none now live who remember it."  Lady Galadriel, The Lord of the Rings:  The Fellowship of the Ring_

The being formerly known as Geno moved along the Star Hill, checking to make sure everything was all right.  After the debacle with Smithy some time ago, the beings he'd referred to as a "higher authority" didn't want to leave things unattended.  Who better, they reasoned, to watch over the Star Road and the Star Hill than one of the beings who had helped save both places?

This is how the being, who referred to himself as a he now, even though technically he was neither, discovered that something _was_ amiss.  A star was missing.  Which was odd, but given the nature of stars, some of whom got bored waiting for a wish, not altogether unexpected.  With the closest equivalent of an exasperated sigh he could muster, the being meandered towards where this specific star was known to hide out on occasion.

When he didn't find it there, he began to get worried.  It _was_ unexpected, as well as unusual, for this specific star to hide out in any other area.  It was particularly eager to get down to the world below, to make someone happy, and normally would wander to the edge of the Star Hill to look upon all the humans.  If it wasn't here….  No, he refused to think of that possibility.  The star had just found another place to hide, much to the being's slight infuriation.  He began to hike back up Star Hill, intending to find the star soon and give it a good lecture.

He reached the top of the hill and stopped, shocked at what he was seeing.  The Star Hill…it was crumbling, the stars were fading, becoming mere wraiths of what they once were.  The land itself was beginning to lose its color, becoming a craggy, dull black.  The small craters that dotted the landscape became small pits from which flame began to burn.  It looked….

It looked like hell.

The being that was once Geno knew that something was terribly, terribly wrong on the Star Road if Star Hill was affected so drastically.  He knew his job was, technically, to remain here on Star Hill and try to return it to what it once was, but he was too afraid, too afraid that he knew the cause of this disaster.  With a greater and greater anxiety building in his mind, he let himself return to the Star Road, his twinkling form popping into existence in the heavens.  The sight that greeted him upon his arrival appalled him beyond belief, and made him sick to his core.

The Star Road was destroyed.

It looked much like Star Hill had when the being had left, only much, much worse.  And more than that…there were foul creatures toiling in various places, turning the wonderful, indescribable beauty that had been the Star Road into foul bricks for a woeful temple.  A temple to contain a familiar evil, an evil he knew all too well.

The being's determination hardened.  He would not let this go on.  It may have been too late for the Star Road…but there was still time for Star Hill, and the rest of the world below.  He knew that the task would not be easy.  He knew that he no longer had any real vested interest in undertaking such a quest, what with his true home destroyed by the corruption of one.

Yet, he knew, all the same, that he would not hesitate in his course of action.  With the equivalent of a deep breathe, the twinkling being descended to the world below.  Specifically, to a place called Rose Town, where a boy named Gaz played with a doll called Geno.

There was a brilliant flash of light that lit up the nighttime room like a bolt of lightning in a pitch black sky, and then the being stood, once again in the full grown form of Geno, and looked directly at Gaz.  "Gaz…I need to see Mario."


	2. A Night To Remember

Super Mario RPG

The Second Coming

Chapter One

AN:  I know, this was an incredibly fast update, but this story wants to write itself, I swear!  That said, on with the story.

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_"Gandalf, my old friend, this will be a night to remember."  Bilbo Baggins, The Lord of the Rings:  The Fellowship of the Ring_

Mario, sometimes called Super Mario, sat on his porch, watching a few mushroom children act out a somewhat nonsensical adventure the group of them had thought up the previous night.  He had a small, content smile on his face, one that was almost overshadowed by the thick black mustache growing under his round nose.  As always, he wore his typical adventure gear, a blue shirt, red overalls, red cap, white gloves, and thick work boots, but he had not been on an adventure for a long time.  Not for several years, in fact, since the fiasco with Smithy, the being from above with a definite case of megalomania and a desire to rule all the world.  Mario, along with a few friends and his archenemy, banded together and had managed to stop the great evil that was Smithy from taking over the entire world below.  In the process, they were able to fix the broken Star Road, enabling wishes to come true once again.

In truth, Mario wasn't sure whether one of his wishes hadn't been granted now, what with his lack of adventures since that last fateful journey.  His wish, the wish he kept private and secret from all others, was to have a quiet life.  He firmly believed that he'd had all the adventures a man should have, and now he wanted nothing more than to sit on his porch and watch children live out their own imaginary adventures.

As the sun set, Princess Toadstool entered the small clearing that Mario made his home, her face grim.  Mario raised a questioning eyebrow, to which the Princess merely nodded.  Mario got up from his chair, collecting the children and telling them to head on home for the night.  He'd long since cleaned out the monsters in Mushroom Way earlier that day, and knew they wouldn't return until the next morning, so he felt safe in the ability of the group of four children to return home safely.  They all bowed to the princess as they left, despite her laugh and protests each time.  Once the children were gone, Mario looked to the princess before smiling slightly.  "Princess," he said, nodding in greeting.

"Mario," she returned, smiling slightly.  The smile faded rapidly, though, and her grim look returned.  "We need to talk."  Mario gestured for her to follow him into his home, but she shook her head.  "I don't have time for a long chat, Mario," Toadstool explained.

"What's wrong, Princess," Mario asked, concern seeping into his voice despite his attempts to hide it.

"We received a message from Rose Town an hour ago," she explained.

"Rose Town," Mario questioned, furrowing his brow.  Why would Rose Town send the Mushroom Kingdom a message?  "What for?"

"It was Geno," Toadstool replied, a slight hint of fear in her voice.

"Geno," Mario yelped, his eyes widening.  "But I thought…well, I thought he wouldn't come back.  I mean, the Star Road was fixed, wishes are being granted…."

"I know, Mario," Toadstool agreed.  "Which is why it was such a shock when the message came in.  The messenger carrying it was out of breath, but managed to get out that the sender of the message had said that it was urgent."

"Who received the messenger," Mario asked, the tone of his voice revealing his inner confusion.

"I did," she replied, removing from her sleeve a rolled up piece of paper.  She unrolled it and handed it to Mario, who read the contents of the brief message out loud.

"Hello, Princess.  It's Geno.  Please, don't question, just trust and have faith.  I'm sending you this message to tell you that I'm back, and that I need you to get Mario and bring him to the Mushroom Kingdom.  I need to take care of a few things, but I'll be there by morning, and with any luck, Mallow will be with me.  If you could convince Bowser to come to the meeting as well, that would be great, but I know he may not be willing to do so.  If not, don't push him, just return to the Mushroom Kingdom and wait for me.  Should you run into any trouble – and yes, there may be some – fight it off as best you can, but if you can't, retreat to Mario's home.  If I find that the Mushroom Kingdom has run into trouble, that is the first place I'll go.  Forever your friend, Geno."  Mario looked up, his eyes at first wide, but then narrowing in grim determination.  "I'm not sure what's wrong, but for Geno to be back…Bowser will come.  I know him better than he thinks."  Mario rolled the paper back up and handed it back to Toadstool.  "Come on.  The both of us should go to Bowser's Keep now."

"What are we going to do once we get there," Toadstool asked, sounding uncertain.

"Knock on the door," Mario replied, locking his house behind him.

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Mario and Toadstool hurried along to Bowser's Keep, admiring how much it looked like it had used to.  While there were still a few spots that needed polishing, it was, for the most part, back to the way it had been before Smithy crashed his huge sword through the middle of it.  The two of them now stood on the bridge, in front of the door.  "Mario…are you sure about this?  What if he decides to start trouble?"

"He won't," Mario replied, raising his hand to knock on Bowser's door.

"What if he does," The princess insisted.

"…We'll deal with it," Mario responded, sighing slightly.  Toadstool considered that for a moment before nodding, and Mario wrapped three times on Bowser's door.  A few moments later, the pair heard the sound of shuffling feet, and a small slot on the top of the door opened up, permitting two eyes to glare out at the pair standing before the door.

"Who goes there," the sentry asked, obviously still a bit high-strung after the Smithy disaster.

"Mario and Toadstool," Mario explained.

"We need to speak to Bowser," The princess added.

"_You two_ need to see Bowser?"

"Could you just go get him please," The princess asked, plucking at her dress nervously.

"I don't think Bowser can see-"

"Tell him it's about Geno," Mario interrupted.

"…One moment."  The slot closed, and the pair heard the sound of running feet as the sentry hastily retreated to find his master.  Within a few moments, the door swung open again, and Bowser stood at the door, a look of both exasperation and hidden concern on his face.

"You said somethin' about Geno," Bowser asked.

"We received a message from him about an hour and a half ago," The princess explained hastily.  She removed the rolled up piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Bowser, who scanned it quickly, his face clouding over the farther along he read.  Finally, after a few moments of just staring at the message, he handed it back to Peach and looked to the both of them.

"…I'll come along," he replied.  "Like it or not, even I know when somethin' big is goin' down."  He turned around and began to head back into his castle.  "Just let me give the repair crews some instructions for the night."

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Later that night, Mario, Peach, and Bowser sat around a conference table, trying to discuss what to do while waiting for Geno to arrive.  All of them were too nervous to sleep, even Bowser, though he tried to deny it.  Mario leaned back in his chair, his feet crossed at the ankles below the table, arms crossed and laying comfortably on his chest.  Toadstool sat like a proper lady, her back straight and her legs crossed, but her posture belied a weariness that spoke fully in her eyes.  Bowser sat leaning on his crossed arms, the table supporting him as he tapped one of his Drill Claws against his arm gently.  Mario's Lazy Shell sat on the table to his right, while Toadstool had her frying pan in front of her.  The silence continued to populate the bright room until, finally, Toadstool decided to break it.  "Okay, so why do we all have our weapons with us?"

"Instinct," Bowser explained.  "Anybody that's ever fought knows when to pull out his guns and when to keep 'em holstered."  He gestured to her frying pan and added, "Seems like all of us have the same instinct."

"We've all fought," Mario added.

"Yeah," Bowser continued, "an' we can all tell when we're about to fight again."

"That's just paranoia," Toadstool explained, to which both males gestured to her frying pan.  "I never said I was immune," Toadstool explained, straightening her dress when it didn't need to be straightened, obviously nervous.

"Coulda fooled me," Bowser grunted.  "Look, do either of you know what Geno wants to talk about?"

"No, but it has to be something important, or he wouldn't even be back," Mario explained.

"Yeah," Bowser replied, nodding.  "That's what I'm sayin'.  It's why I brought my claws, and Mario brought his big honkin' shell, and you brought your frying pan, Princess.  'Cause no matter how much we wanna deny it, we all know that things are about to get real exciting, real soon."

Almost as if on cue, Toad burst through the door, out of breath.  "Mario, Toadstool…Bowser!  Come quick!"  The poor mushroom was so panicked he didn't even bother to explain, instead just charging back the way he'd come.  Mario, Toadstool, and Bowser looked at each other before Bowser pushed himself up from the table.

"Told ya so," were the koopas last words before heading through the door.  Mario and Toadstool glanced at each other before following him, Mario hefting his Lazy Shell and the Princess slinging her frying pan over her shoulder.


	3. Enter Evil

**Super Mario RPG**

**The Second Coming**

**Chapter Two**

**Enter Evil**

WARNING: I just realized that I didn't put a warning up for this story. It's much, MUCH darker than the game, and also can get a little gory during the battle scenes. I want to warn you about that now, so if you don't want to see the gore, skip the battle portion of this chapter, and if you don't like dark stories, then you shouldn't read this at all.

AN: I haven't updated for a while, and for that, I'm sorry. The muses ran from me, I'm afraid, but now they're back, and ready to write. So, without further ado, I'll get right onto the chapter.

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_"I am the boiling man, come to break the bones of your sins, meat puppet…" Jame's O'Barr's The Crow****_

The sight that greeted the three heroes when they exited the castle was nothing short of astounding. Creatures were destroying the Mushroom Kingdom, killing men, women, and children alike. These creatures were like nothing anyone had ever seen before. Their skin was black as the abyss, wrinkled and dry, cracking in some places. Their eyes burned a fiery orange, and there were no irises to speak of. Their bodies, though twisted and grotesque, were muscular and deadly, hands tipped with razor sharp claws that were being put to efficient use. Grimy, oily hair hung limp from grotesque heads, whipping about as the creatures ran from mushroom to mushroom, killing indiscriminately. They were armed with all sorts of instruments of death: Swords, axes, sickles, spears, and crossbows. A few even had something that only Mario recognized, something that made his blood run cold: Guns. Not the kind of guns that would develop slowly, either. These were the kinds of guns that Mario knew existed on Earth, in the present.

This sight even made Bowser's jaw drop, while Peach seemed to be barely keeping herself from sobbing. Mario's face hardened, his gaze locked on one of the guns, and he uttered one word. "No." He would not let weapons of destruction such as those horrific things pollute this world. He refused to let this world fall victim to such terrible pain. He could do nothing to stop such developments on Earth…but here, in the Mushroom Kingdom…in _this world_…here, he could do something.

Peach struck first, screaming out at the top of her lungs and charging into the fray, swinging her frying pan in a rage the likes of which no one had ever seen before. Bowser was right behind her, shouting out an incomprehensible battlecry. Mario snarled, kicking his Lazy Shell with all his might, aiming for one of the creatures carrying a rifle. The creature's head was caved in with the sheer force of the attack, and the Lazy Shell came right back to Mario, the boomerang-like enchantment still working, despite the time that had elapsed since its last use. Mario continued his attacks on the few creatures that held guns until all of them had been downed, and from there, he switched over to his most powerful gloves and dove into melee, backing up Peach while Bowser plowed through the creatures as if there was no tomorrow.

In the end, though, it was Toad who saved the day. He grabbed at Mario's hand and pulled him down, shouting above the chaos of battle. "There are too many of them! We have to retreat!"

"Never," Mario snarled, unable to see past the red haze that had descended over him upon first sight of the guns.

"What good is it going to do for you to die here," Toad shouted, indignant. "Answer me, Mario! What good could it possibly do for you to fight a losing battle here, only to be skewered by one of these monsters?! Who would save us then, huh? Frogfrucious? Gaz? Dyna and Mite?!" Before Mario could answer, Toad continued with his tirade. "No! They would all die! Mario, you and Peach and yes, even Bowser, are our only hope! Mallow's people don't pay attention to what goes on down here, even though Mallow himself is an alright guy! Or are you expecting Croco to the rescue?" The red haze slowly cleared, and Mario could see that Toad was right. There were just too many of these things, even if Geno and Mallow came. He hated to admit it, but the Mushroom Kingdom had been overtaken. They needed to retreat to Mario's house, just like Geno had said.

Mario called out for Bowser and merely pointed in the direction of his house. Bowser nodded and retreated until he was back-to-shell with Mario. "Get the princess," Bowser commanded, "I'll clear us a path!" Mario knew the princess would never leave her people like this, so he just grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder, hauling Toad up onto his other shoulder as he followed closely behind Bowser as he carved a path through the creatures with his claws. Despite Bowser's immense physical power and Peach's still-swinging frying pan, it didn't look good. There were just so many of the creatures…they had formed a wall blocking the front exit of the mushroom kingdom, while the other exit had been blocked earlier, broken signs and pieces of broken homes piled in front of it, fortified with the corpses of the citizens. None of the heroes wanted to attempt that exit. They're only hope – diminishing as it may be – was to get out through the main gates. In the end, though, such a feat looked hopeless. Even Bowser wouldn't be able to get through the ever-thickening wall of creatures at the front gate.

There was a loud explosion behind them, and all combat ceased immediately. The heroes spun, Mario putting Peach down so that she could see. What they saw was a man, tall and muscular, floating in the air. His black robes billowed in a cold wind that began to blow. His hood was pulled back, revealing his long, flowing silver hair. It stretched down to his waist, and whipped wildly in the wind. His eyes were jet black, with no irises whatsoever. His hands, as far as they could tell, were snug within clawed gauntlets that covered his entire hands and disappeared up his sleeves. He wore black boots, and a huge, demonic looking sword was strapped to his back. He didn't speak, merely kept a cocky grin on his face as he surveyed the three who had failed to save the people that lay before him. "So…you are the great Mario, eh? I don't see anything great about you." His eyes then fell on the princess. "And you, princess…tsk, I'm disappointed. Running away when your people need you…if there are any of them left, that is." The princess attempted to start forward, but Mario held out his arm to stop her. "You couldn't harm me even if you tried, my dear. Be grateful for the fat plumber holding you back, or I would have dispatched you quite easily." He chuckled and gestured towards the hilt of his sword. "This isn't just for show, you know." Finally, his eyes turned to Bowser. "Last, and certainly least, is you, 'King' – and I use that term terribly loosely – Bowser. Just what do you think you could do here, turtle? Throw your considerable weight around? Peh. I'm far more powerful than you could ever dream of. No arrogant turtle with a superiority complex could defeat me."

"You should talk," Bowser, replied, calmer than he usually was when challenged. "Who are you, anyway?"

"You can call me Astazar," the man stated. "Soon, you will call me Dark Lord of this world. Though I suppose, at that time, 'Master' will suffice." With a sigh, he turned away, and began floating towards the palace. "Now, if you would kindly leave my kingdom. You are beginning to bore me terribly, and there are matters that I must attend to. Brakus, Graf, see them out." Two creatures stepped forward, snarling softly. The wall of creatures at the main gates parted, and the four survivors knew that it was time to leave.

"I will be back, monster," Peach shouted. Astazar merely laughed before disappearing inside the palace doors. Brakus and Graf continued to advance, and the despondent quartet slowly made their way out of the mushroom kingdom. The gates were slammed shut behind them, the noise making the princess wince. Mario knew she was on the verge of breaking down, and slid his arm around her waist in an attempt to comfort her. Oddly, it was Bowser who offered comforting words.

"We'll get him back, princess," he said softly. "Even I can't stand killing like that. We'll get him back." Those were the last words spoken for quite some time, as the group trudged along unhappily. They reached Mario's house later that night, and for lack of anything better to do, tried to sleep. Little did they know what news the sunrise would bring….


	4. Where It All Began

**Super Mario RPG**

**The Second Coming**

**Chapter Three**

**Where It All Began….**

AN: Alrighty, here's the responses to the reviews.

**Uniswift87**: Eh, sorry I didn't update soon. I'll try to be better about that.

**Sephy**: Booster won't be appearing much in the fic, I think, except for perhaps a cameo here and there. Croco…well, read this chapter, you'll see plenty of him. I'm also planning to put a few others into the party as well. The identities of these individuals are revealed in this chapter, lol.

And now, on with the show.

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_"The world seems full of good men—even if there are monsters in it!" Bram Stoker, Dracula_

Toad had collapsed from a combination of panic and exhaustion over three hours ago. It was nearing sunrise now, and while Peach was nodding in a chair near Mario's bed, where Toad was sleeping, Mario and Bowser were talking amongst themselves, planning strategy. Or so they said, though in reality, they were just trying to occupy their minds. The longer they kept the memories of the shattered Mushroom Kingdom from becoming central in their minds, the better. So they discussed everything they possibly could, from strategy, to reminiscing about past battles, to what the other had for lunch three days previous. Anything and everything that could keep the memories of corpses lining the streets from their minds was up for discussion and analyzing.

Another hour passed, and Mario and Bowser finally lapsed into silence, having run out of things to talk about. Neither of them even considered closing their eyes, knowing exactly what they would see when they did so. Peach and Toad were now both sound asleep, though neither looked to be dreaming of anything too peaceful. "You think we can really take that guy," Bowser asked, leaning forward and resting his arms on the little table where he sat, shell to the door, across from Mario.

"I doubt it," Mario sighed, shaking his head. "He's got an army, and he himself probably has more power than his entire army combined." Mario sighed, slouching in his seat. "I don't think anyone could take him."

"So what are we going to do," Bowser questioned. "If that's the case, why waste our time? We might as well spend our last days enjoying ourselves, right? If we're going to die going up against this guy, why should we go up against him?"

"Because someone has to," Mario stated, grim determination in his voice. "Someone has to stand up to that monster, or no one ever will. This world is connected to the world I came from, and you and I both know he'll go there eventually. You may not care much about it, but I do, and if I don't stand, no one will. If there are no stories to tell children about heroes that stood bravely against the odds, heroes that forged ahead despite knowing the inevitability of their deaths, then when someone who could stop Astazar comes along, how will that person know that standing up to him is even possible?"

"Good point," Bowser sighed, propping his head up on one hand. "I still wish I could do what I wanted for my last couple days of life."

"Me too." Mario grinned ruefully. "Me too."

"Where's your brother, anyway," Bowser asked. "We could use his help."

"Yo'ster Isle," Mario returned. "He wanted to go watch the races."

"There's no way we can wait for him," Bowser returned.

"No, we won't," Mario, replied. "Once Geno and Mallow get here, we'll head out. I'm not sure where, but we will, and we'll pick him up along the way." Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Mario and Bowser both tensed. Neither Geno or Mallow would knock, so this was someone else entirely. "Who is it," Mario called out cautiously.

"It's Croco," called the voice from the other side. "I was just at the Mushroom Kingdom and something's happened! Something bad! Er, I mean, something bad even by my standards!" Mario practically leapt to the door, swinging it open. Bowser grabbed Croco and hauled him inside, and Mario slammed the door again. "Whoa! What's going on?"

"We were there," Mario stated. "We saw what happened as it was happening."

"And you couldn't do anything about it," Croco yelped.

"Keep your voice down," Bowser growled, letting Croco go. "And no, we couldn't do anything about it."

"This guy struck too hard, and too fast," Mario explained, taking up his seat again. "His name is Astazar."

"Were there guards," Bowser asked suddenly, leaning back against the wall near the door.

"Yeah, there were," Croco nodded. "They were these ugly things. I mean, we have monsters here, but those things were…."

"Were you spotted," Bowser questioned. "And now isn't the time to brag, Croco. Tell us the truth."

"I…yeah, I was," Croco sighed, taking up the seat that Bowser had abandoned earlier. "They didn't follow me, though. I checked."

"Doesn't matter," Bowser laughed. "Astazar knows you saw what he did. You're a loose end to tie up, now."

"What," Croco yelped, leaping up. "I gotta get out of here!"

"Sit down," Bowser sighed. "You won't last on your own. You can come with us. Like it or not, Astazar's going to be after you, too, and we're going to need all the help we can get going up against him anyway. That bag of goodies you always carry around could come in handy."

"Good point," Mario agreed. "So what's it going to be, Croco? Go out there alone and get killed, or fight Astazar and get famous?"

"Famously slaughtered, you mean," Croco muttered. "Why not," he chuckled, shrugging helplessly. "Sure, I'm in." He looked over to the sleeping forms of Peach and Toad. "They ok?"

"They're fine," Mario nodded. "Just tired." Croco nodded, sitting back in his chair. "We're waiting for Geno and Mallow, and then we're heading out. To where, we don't know, but it's better than staying so close to our enemy." As if on cue, the door swung open, and Croco, Mario, and Bowser tensed for a fight. They all sighed with relief to see Geno in the doorway, Mallow behind him. "Bowser, wake the princess and Toad up, will you?" Bowser nodded and did so, even as Geno and Mallow entered. Mallow blinked when he saw Croco, but didn't say anything. Obviously, the pair had stopped by the Mushroom Kingdom themselves before coming here. They all took up positions around Mario's small home, Toad and Peach on the bed, Mario and Croco at the table, Mallow and Bowser leaning against opposite walls. Geno paced back and forth in the center of the room, hands clutched behind his back.

"You've got something to say," Peach began, after a moment. "Tell us, Geno. What's going on?"

"Were any of you at the Mushroom Kingdom when…?"

"Mario, Bowser, Toad, and I were, yes," Peach nodded. "We met Astazar."

"Good, then I can skip over that part of the explanation. Astazar…he looked human, right?"

"Right," Bowser replied. "What's your point?"

"He's not. He's like me. He's merely taken over a body."

"Whose body," Toad questioned.

"What did he look like," Geno returned. Bowser, Mario, Peach, and Toad all took turns explaining and correcting each other. "I see. I know that body. His true name is Mitrius."

"How do you know him," Mario asked.

"Well, to be more precise, I knew his father," Geno sighed. "His father was like me, and his mother was human. It's why Astazar could take over so easily. The part of his heritage that's like me makes him stand out like a sore thumb."

"So what do we do," Mallow asked.

"To tell you that, I need to explain a few things about something that happened on the Star Road long before I was ever born into it." The room grew silent instantly, and Geno began his tale. "Long ago, even by our standards, there was a sorcerer by the name of Astazar. Everyone believed that he was a good and righteous man, even the king and queen. He was even able to work his way up to chief advisor to the royal family, a position which was arguably more powerful and influential than actually _being_ royalty. All this was to gain access to certain ancient documents that my people have long been guardians of. These documents detail creation, and only the royalty and the most powerful advisors have access to them. Within those documents…Astazar found the secret of ascension."

"Ascension," Peach asked. "You mean…?"

"Yes," Geno continued gravely. "Using the information and magic he found in those documents, Astazar became a dark god, the likes of which had not been seen since the creation of the world we now stand on. With this new power, he killed everyone in the palace and took over, using his new magics to resurrect the people he'd just killed as his undead guards. The Star Road was plunged into a war it could not win, and as the years passed, hope waned. Finally, when all hope seemed lost, ten heroes arose and fought Astazar, freeing the Star Road before venturing into Astazar's stronghold. These ten heroes battled Astazar for days, but finally, they defeated him. They were unable to destroy the evil, but they banished him from the Star Road and from all other worlds. This took the last of their energy, and that night, the ten heroes died. It is said that the denizens of the Star Road buried these ten heroes in the earth from whence they came, in a temple dedicated to the element that they loved." Geno looked as if he was about to say something more, but then shook his head. "We must go. Eventually, Astazar will realize that we mean to stop him, and he will send enough forces here to overwhelm us."

"Where do we go," Toad questioned.

"We have to get the people of the world to safety," Peach insisted. "I may have failed my people…but I won't fail the world."

"Where can we evacuate them to," Mario pondered.

"My keep," Bowser offered. "I planted explosives along the bridge thanks to the last debacle, so all I have to do is blow the bridge, and then my keep will be the safest place in the world."

"How will anyone get to it," Geno asked.

"We could use the airbus at Mallow's place," Bowser observed. "You can use your telepathy to get in touch with your parents, right, Mallow?"

"I can try," Mallow offered, uneasily. "Geno told us all this before we left, so I won't need to explain it to them. We're pretty far away, so I don't know for certain…but I should be able to get a short message to them."

"Tell them to prepare for evacuation," Mario ordered. Mallow nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating on sending the message. After a few minutes of hard concentration, Mallow began to fall backwards, but Bowser bolted across the room and caught him. A few more moments passed, and Mallow opened his eyes.

"They said that it's a good plan," Mallow relayed. "They said they'll tell the airbus to take a route that will keep it hidden from anyone watching on the hill, and to use one of the holes in the back to unload the refugees."

"Good," Mario turned to Geno. "What about Mitrius? I don't want to hurt an innocent, but…."

"There is a way to get him out," Geno explained. "Or, rather, to get Astazar out of him. There is a spell that all of my people are taught at a young age. Young ones can't use it, due to the power it takes, but they are taught it all the same. I suppose you would call it an exorcism spell, but it does not truly banish anything. All it does is force a possessing entity out of whatever bodies it has taken. A banishing spell will be necessary immediately afterwards. I can perform both, but it will take my utmost concentration."

"So you're saying that the rest of us have to distract Astazar," Mallow questioned.

"You've gotta be kidding," Croco added. "It's just me, Mario, Bowser, Peach, and Mallow fighting that thing, while you're in the back casting your spells. That guy will be done with us by the time you're on the _third word_."

"He's right," Mallow agreed. "We need more fighters if we're going to do this."

"Mitrius _must_ be freed," Geno insisted vehemently.

"He will be," Mario assured Geno, despite being a bit unsure as to why he was so insistent. "We just need some help, that's all."

"Who could help us take on a god made flesh," Peach wondered aloud.

"My brother will definitely help," Mario stated firmly. "We can pick him up while we're getting everybody evacuated."

"There was a swordsman in Rose Town," Geno mused. "He was sleeping at the inn, and wore a green cap."

"Link," Mario nodded. "He'll help, if he's still somewhere around here. And maybe we could go to Kong Country, and convince Donkey Kong to help out as well."

"How would we cross the ocean," Bowser questioned. "It's not like we could just swim."

"We could get Johnny to repair his boat," Mario offered.

"No, that would take too long," Toad, argued. "We don't have that kind of time to spare. The airbus will be too busy evacuating people, so that's out…."

"Guys," Mallow interrupted. "Do you remember the Axem Rangers? The Blade Ship?"

"Oh yeah," Bowser replied. "That was one of the hardest fights of our last quest."

"Well…when it crashed, it wasn't destroyed," Mallow confessed, sighing. "My people salvaged it, and have been making repairs. It's fixed and ready. I can't send another message to my parents, the last one took too much out of me, but we can go see them in person. I'm sure they'd let us use the Blade Ship."

"Alright, it's settled," Mario, stated firmly. "We're going to go from town to town, getting everyone evacuated, picking up Link and Luigi on the way. After that, we'll head straight to Mallow's place, get his parents to let us use the Blade Ship, and go to Kong Country to pick up Donkey Kong. From there…we take back the Mushroom Kingdom _and_ Mitrius." He stuck his hand out, palm facing down. "As one team. Together, we may just be able to do this." Surprisingly, Bowser was the first to put his hand in. Croco followed, as did Geno, Toad, Peach, and Mallow. They stood there for a moment, sharing a calm, almost peaceful second, before they turned and headed for the door.


End file.
